Carthage Cement posts 19% rise in 3Q15 turnover

Tunisia-based Carthage Cement increased its cement production by 52 per cent YoY in 3Q15. Cement turnover rose by 24 per cent during this period but clinker sales fell as the company did not sell clinker to avoid competition with its own product and promote the sales of cement, the finished product with high added value. This strategy allowed Carthage Cement to consolidate its domestic market share which climbed from 10.9 per cent in September 2014 to 16.7 per cent one year later.

In the year to 30 September, around a third more cement left the company’s plants when compared with the previous year’s output. Turnover in the nine-month period expanded by 12 per cent on the back of a 22 per cent domestic sales growth, sufficient to offset the 16 per cent decline in export revenues.

Together with an 19 per cent 3Q15 advance in aggregates, the overall turnover of the company increased in 3Q15 19 per cent YoY to TND36.775m from TND31.011m. However, Carthage Cement’s total turnover at the end of last September slipped four per cent to TND127.5m from TND132.8m a year earlier.